The roar of the crowd was deafening as the arena fell into a tense silence, the atmosphere thick with anticipation. Milo, Damien, and Hannah stood together, their eyes locked on the two silver-haired twins who had just taken their position at their side of the arena. The twins' calm demeanor was in direct contrast to the chaos around them, their eyes sharp and calculating.
"Two against five," Milo muttered under his breath, shaking his head in disbelief. "This is either incredibly stupid… or incredibly smart."
Hannah narrowed her gaze at the twins. "They've got guts, I'll give them that. But it's hard to see how they could win this."
"Don't be so sure," Damien said, his tone thoughtful.
The bell rang, signaling the start of the fight.
The twins remained unmoved, their silver hair flowing like the mist surrounding them. Without a word, they extended their hands, and the arena seemed to shift. A sudden fog rolled in, thick and suffocating, swallowing up the entire battlefield.
The crowd gasped. The announcer was speechless for a moment. "W-what is this?! The entire arena is enveloped in fog!"
Milo could hardly keep up, his mind racing. What were the twins planning? And more importantly—how could they defeat a team this strong with only two members?
James, his heart racing, shouted to his team, "Get down!" He quickly summoned a violent gust of wind, hoping to blow the thick fog away. As the wind howled, the fog began to recede, but the arena fell into stunned silence as the mist lifted.
When the air cleared, James stood alone. His team was nowhere to be seen—each of them had been knocked out cold, sprawled around the arena, their bodies scattered like ragdolls.
The twins were the only ones still standing. Calmly and menacingly, one stood to his left, the other to his right, their silver hair gleaming in the dim light. The eerie silence of the arena was palpable, the crowd holding their breath.
The announcer's voice cut through the stillness, his tone filled with disbelief. "In a near total wipeout, the numbers advantage now swaps to the silver-haired twins!"
"How... how did you—?" James began, but the words caught in his throat.
The twin on his left, her eyes gleaming with a sharp, calculating intensity, stepped forward. "We didn't need numbers," she said, her voice as cold as the fog. "Strategy, Strength on the other hand… that's somethings you clearly lack."
The twin on his right then began "It was fun playing with you but i think its time we finish this"
The crowd murmured in disbelief, still processing what had just happened. The twins didn't even break a sweat. They simply stood there, waiting for their next move, their eyes locked on James.
"You don't have to keep going, you know," the left twin said, almost with pity. "You've lost. Just give up."
"I Concede" James said, defeated.
The announcer's voice came over the loudspeakers, though it seemed distant to James now, as if everything had slowed to a crawl. "And with that, Team 3 has been eliminated. The silver-haired twins, Team 4, advance!"
The crowd erupted into applause, though it was more out of disbelief than admiration. Team 3 had seemed like such a formidable force, yet they had been utterly dismantled by these two.
The announcer's voice rang out over the arena, filled with awe. "If these silver-haired twins continue on this path, they might just have what it takes to dethrone the Fog General, Iris, in due time!"
"Did you see that?" Milo whispered, his voice full of awe. "They didn't even break a sweat."
Hannah was silent for a moment, clearly still processing the fight. "They didn't just win—they dominated. That fog… it wasn't just for cover. It was a weapon."
Damien, though impressed, seemed lost in thought. "They weren't just fighting the other team—they were controlling the entire arena."
Milo snapped out of his thoughts, eyes burning with determination. "Our match is next. I don't care how strong those twins are, we're going to crush them. We're gonna make them feel the fear they just put into that last team. Let's show them who's really in charge."
Hannah raised an eyebrow, a smirk forming on her lips. "I don't know if we can top what they just did, but hell, we can sure give it everything we've got."
Damien's voice was sharp as he stepped in. "Hold on—let's not get reckless. If we want to win this, we can't give them a chance to see all our moves right off the bat—"
Milo cut him off, his voice filled with intensity. "I don't care about that. I want to make them regret ever thinking they could take us down."
Hannah laughed, her eyes sparkling with competitive fire. "Now that's more like it. Ready to show them how it's done?"
Damien stuttered, his words faltering. "B-but I... uh... Milo, you're supposed to be the tactical one, not the reckless one..." His voice trailed off.
The announcer's voice cut through the tension, electrifying the air. "And now, ladies and gentlemen, we're about to begin the next round of the preliminaries! After that insane fight, this one's got some big shoes to fill—let's make it a fight to remember!"
The announcer's voice boomed across the arena. "Introducing Team 5, a formidable trio with unique affinities! Starting on the left, the blonde woman with short hair and piercing eyes, Hannah, wielding the Storm Calamity. To her right is her brother Milo, with brown wavy hair and striking green eyes, a master of the Tornado Calamity. And rounding out the team, the black-haired powerhouse, Damien, a force to be reckoned with, commanding the Earthquake Calamity. The only thing that might get in his way is his height."
Damien Yells "Oh come on do you really need to bring up my height."
Hannah giggled, clearly enjoying the moment.
As they entered the coliseum, Milo couldn't help but take in the insanity of the situation. Winning here meant advancing further, and advancing further meant they could actually win the whole tournament. The weight of it all was both exhilarating and terrifying.
Hannah shot him a reassuring smile. "Hey, we've got this. Let's show them what we're made of."
Milo's eyes scanned the stadium, his nerves momentarily rattled by the sight of the two generals in the distance, sitting comfortably in a VIP area.
He quickly took note of the menacing figures, his thoughts briefly fixating on them.
The man on the left was known as "Caspian the Wall," a living legend and former number one general for over a decade before being dethroned to second. At a commanding 7'2" and 41 years old, his imposing figure was hard to miss. Bald with a long braided beard, Caspian had a record of 127-3 in sparring matches with other generals, a testament to his overwhelming strength. Though he hated his nickname, he'd certainly earned it.
Beside him sat his wife, Iris, the "Witch of the Mist" and the seventh-ranked general. At 43, she had long silver hair that cascaded past her shoulders, with bangs that veiled her eyes. Iris was known for her unparalleled mastery of the Fog Calamity, often using it in ways others could only dream of. Despite her skill, she never rose higher in the ranks, and many speculated it was because she was bound to one of the least powerful Calamities. Iris had taken a backseat in recent years, rarely engaging in battles, and the mystery surrounding her was almost as intimidating as her abilities.
"They're here, huh?" Damien muttered, his voice laced with awe.
Hannah smirked, glancing at the two generals. "That's what some of the strongest look like."
The announcer's voice cut through their thoughts, shifting the focus to the next team. "Now entering the arena—Team 6, a trio of contestants who share a deep love for water!"
Hannah raised an eyebrow, surprised. "I thought it was just us and those twins that would be crazy enough to fight with such few members."
The announcer continued, "This team consists of three girls: Rose, the Storm Calamity user; Kora, the Blizzard Calamity specialist; and Chika, the Fog Calamity master. With another Fog Calamity user in the mix, we might just see some more amazing tactics from Chika today!"
Milo exchanged a sharp glance with his teammates, his mind already buzzing with strategies. "Three girls. Don't go easy on them just because they're women."
Damien and Hannah both responded in unison, their voices determined. "Got it."
Milo grinned, his confidence rising. "Remember, swift and stylish. We'll finish this even faster."
Damien and Hannah shared a knowing look, then smirked. "Swift and stylish," they echoed together.
The announcer's voice cut through the air as the countdown began. The crowd roared with excitement, their anticipation building for the next match.
"3... 2... 1... BEGIN!"